A tray having: an annular sidewall having upper and lower annular peripheral edges, an upper annular peripheral rim which is integral with the upper annular peripheral edge, and a base having an annular peripheral edge which is integral with the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall, wherein the rim, the sidewall and the base are composed of a thermoplastic polymer and the sidewall and the base define a central concavity for packaging a product, wherein the base has a lattice structure of elongate foam ribs interconnected by foam junctions, wherein each foam rib has opposite ends, and each end is integrally connected to either the annular peripheral edge of the base or one of the foam junctions, wherein each foam rib and each foam junction has opposed upper and lower unfoamed solid skins of the thermoplastic polymer on opposite sides of a central cellular foam core of the thermoplastic polymer.

Molded latex foam blocks having dual densities and methods for the same are disclosed herein. The method may include preparing a latex composition including one or more rubber materials, disposing the latex composition into a mold, foaming the latex composition inside the mold, and curing the latex composition to produce a solid block of foam having dual densities. The solid block of foam may be a monolithic structure have a first side having a first density and a second side having a second density, where the first density is relatively greater than the second density.

A moulded polymer article having a monolithic wall part composed of a polymer, the monolithic wall part having a core layer of expanded cellular foam, composed of the polymer, disposed between, and integral with, first and second solid skins, composed of the polymer, wherein the core layer is multilaminar and includes a first layer of the expanded cellular foam adjacent to the first solid skin, a second layer of the expanded cellular foam adjacent to the second solid skin, and an intermediate layer of the expanded cellular foam which is between, and adjacent to, the first and second layers, wherein the first and second layers have a first cellular microstructure of closed cells and the intermediate layer has a second cellular microstructure of cells which have an average aspect ratio between a maximum cell dimension and a minimum cell dimension which is greater than 2:1 and less than 5:1 and wherein in the second cellular microstructure the maximum cell dimension of the cells is oriented in a direction extending between the first and second solid skins.

A container having an annular sidewall with upper and lower annular peripheral edges and a lattice structure of elongate ribs interconnecting the upper and lower annular peripheral edges, wherein the lattice structure is an open framework defining a plurality of sidewall openings, and a base having an annular peripheral edge which is integral with the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall, the annular peripheral edge of the base surrounding a base wall structure which is integral therewith, the base wall structure having at least one injection moulding sprue at a central region of the base wall structure, wherein the at least one injection moulding sprue is connected to the upper annular peripheral edge of the annular sidewall by the base wall structure, the annular peripheral edge of the base, the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall and the lattice structure of the sidewall, wherein the sidewall and the base are composed of a thermoplastic polymer and define a central concavity for packaging a product, and wherein the container further has a flexible sheet which is bonded to the lattice structure to cover the sidewall openings and form a sealed sidewall surface of the container.

A method for producing a foam component includes providing a particulate starting material in a mold, softening the starting material, inducing a pressure change within the mold to cause foaming in at least a portion of the softened starting material without the use of a blowing agent, and solidifying the foamed starting material.

A recorded matter having a three-dimensional image is produced by a method comprising the steps of: applying, to a recording medium including a substrate and a foaming layer provided thereon, a foam-promoting liquid containing water and a foam-promoting component; and heating the foaming layer. The foaming layer contains a binder resin and a foaming particle which foams as heated, while the foam-promoting component lowers a foaming start temperature of the foaming particle. The foaming particle includes a shell layer containing a thermoplastic resin and a volatile material encapsulated in the shell layer. The binder resin contains a water-insoluble resin, while the foam-promoting component contains a compound having no hydroxyl group.

A method for manufacturing a foam-molded article by performing a GCP, the method including a step of retreating a mobile side of a mold clamping mechanism of a sealed mold at the same time as when a step of discharging a gas is started, during the step of discharging the gas, immediately after the step of discharging the gas or when a specified delay time after the step of discharging the gas is finished for performing at least one of a mold-back and a core-back to increase a foaming ratio of a foamable resin in a state that a cooling and a solidification of an inside of the foamable resin are not finished.

An expanded polystyrene (EPS) product includes an EPS body; and a polystyrene layer on a portion of a surface of the EPS body, wherein a density of the polystyrene layer is greater than a density of the EPS body, and both the EPS body and the polystyrene layer include EPS.

A method and compression mold are provided for producing a sandwich component, in which an outer shell and an inner shell are compressed, together with foam particles in a cavity between the shells, which cavity is formed by two mold halves of a mold, under pressure and at an increased temperature to form the sandwich component. At least one mold half is heated in a first temperature-control zone to a higher maximum temperature than in a second temperature-control zone.

A recorded matter having a three-dimensional image is produced by a method comprising the steps of: applying, to a recording medium including a substrate and a foaming layer provided thereon, a foam-promoting liquid containing water and a foam-promoting component; and heating the foaming layer. The foaming layer contains a binder resin and a foaming particle which foams as heated, while the foam-promoting component lowers a foaming start temperature of the foaming particle. The foaming particle includes a shell layer containing a thermoplastic resin and a volatile material encapsulated in the shell layer. The binder resin contains a water-insoluble resin, while the foam-promoting component contains a compound having no hydroxyl group.